Invisibility Cloak To Be Unveiled With New Research

Becoming invisible with the swish of a cloak as in J K Rowling's Harry Potter novels could soon be a reality with a £4.5 million research project.
The University of Exeter is working with three other UK universities on the project, Quest for Ultimate Electromagnetics using Spatial Transformations (QUEST).
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), QUEST aims to transform the science fiction of invisibility into practical technology.
The research will focus on developing practical applications of spatial transformations for communication, wireless energy transfer, sensors and security.
The University of Exeter has been exploring the physics of these so-called 'metamaterials' for the past decade. Metamaterials are very carefully structured materials which have been designed to interact with electromagnetic waves or sound waves in ways that no naturally-occurring material can. The University of Exeter team has already been developing structures that block sound very efficiently, designing new anti-counterfeiting technologies and discovering novel ways of making paper whiter without the use of chemicals. The University has worked closely with industry partners to develop these new technologies.
Dr Alastair Hibbins of the University of Exeter's College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, said: "This award from the EPSRC marks the start of what promises to be a particularly exciting phase of research. This project will give us the flexibility and freedom to do some very exciting work from improving wifi connections and demonstrating wireless charging of mobile phones to building better sound proofed rooms, and perhaps even making things disappear completely!"
Professor Yang Hao from Queen Mary's School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, who leads the five-year project, said: "There has been intensive research into the principles of invisibility science which has now matured to the point that the next big step is to use the insights of theory to produce practical devices.
"Invisibility is an optical illusion created by the transformation of space in suitable materials. Wireless technology relies on electromagnetic waves like radio waves that are similar in behaviour to light, but have much longer wavelengths, and what is possible for light is often also possible for other electromagnetic waves."
Queen Mary's team, including Professor Hao and Professor Clive Parini, will focus on the project's engineering applications while Dr Alastair Hibbins, Professor Bill Barnes and Professor Roy Sambles will lead a team in the School of Physics at the University of Exeter to turn theory into experiment.
A team at the University of Oxford, led by Professor Patrick Grant and Professor Chris Grovenor, will develop the new materials required for practical applications.
One of the pioneers of spatial transformation theory, Professor Ulf Leonhardt at the University of St Andrews, will direct the theory element of the new research.
Science magazine recently listed research in transformation optics among the top 10 science breakthroughs of the last decade. These are so-called metamaterials unavailable in nature in which the microstructure is contrived in the laboratory to create unusual electromagnetic properties such as bending of electromagnetic waves.
Metamaterials pioneer, Sir John Pendry, will sit on the advisory board of the new project, which will be headed by Professor Peter Clarricoats who has spearheaded antenna research in the UK.
Wireless technologies based on electromagnetic waves are all around us - including mobile phones, wi-fi for computers, security scanners and many more. By combining theory with experiment and computer simulations with materials science, QUEST will create new products for wireless technology. For example, with the right sort of materials and devices it may no longer be required to switch off mobile phones in aeroplanes.
Wireless antennas may become smaller, more effective and unrecognisable so that they can be sewn into clothing in an increasingly wireless world.
Exactly what form these devices will take is not yet clear - the research will help inform that. The grant from EPSRC will allow the researchers the flexibility and freedom to achieve the - almost - impossible with electromagnetic waves.
EPSRC is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800m a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.

Read more »

Posted in: Advancements,Technology

The Future of Solar Photo Voltaic Panels

The future of Solar PV Cells is bright, Pun intended, throughout the recent years many changes in in green technology and funding had led to a massive increase in the uptake of solar panels on business and residential property. Though the uptake has been much better than many experts expected during the financial crisis, further development in production and installation and raising the longevity in solar panel technology will have a huge impact on the further uptake on Solar Cells.
There is some reason behind the surprising increase in the uptake of the solar panels over the past couple of months. The recent poor returns of many ISA and fixed Bond in banks and the crisis on the stock markets has create a really investment opportunity in green technology. Currently many of the roof solar panel installation have a financial return of around 15% and possible can be within profit within 5-8 years.
Getting solar cells is becoming easier and easier each year with, new products on the market to speed up installation with snap lock designs or new DIY based packages in order to produce your own custom solar cells in order to fit on unusual roof shapes.
With the recent 20% increases in electric bills across the UK many properties are looking into changing to green technologies, will Solar panels would can possibly create enough energy to power your house and sell a surplus to the national grid. In my experience on a good summers day I can make almost a third more electricity then I use through my solar cells. I have also heard reports of even higher returns along the south coast. In some areas of the UK massive fields on solar panels are recently being springing up replacing fields of rape seed with fields of solar cells. I recent solar farm created in Devon built and erected over 5000 solar panels in just three weeks. This just shows how in some counties of the UK solar farms one day may power most of the rural towns and villages.
Recent developments from MIT in the US have also created new durable solar cells printed on paper. This has the potential to completely change the shape and style of solar technology. If made water proof these simple solar cells may one day be integrated into a properties roof, thus providing a water proof membrane and free energy at the same time. Currently the production cost of this technology is rather expensive but hopeful through mass production this should be on the green energy market within 5 -10 years. Imagine been able to get a 50 metre roll of solar cells and cutting them to size to attach to your shed or garage.

The future of solar energy is bright, the future is green.



For more details on the topics mentioned in this article, such as the use of solar panels, please visit WDS Green Energy, who have a great deal of knowledge in the field.

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Posted in: Advancements

Satellites,Computers, And Power All Stop?

So let's say you are sitting on your couch scrolling through the new app store or surfing your favorite blogs. Suddenly your phone goes to no service , power goes out , and your stuck looking at nothing. You walk out ya back door to realize every one of your neighbors is standing outside. How would people react....What would everyone start to do if it was permanent. Imagine though really sit back and picture no satellites working , phones out , and power worldwide gone.
For one, honestly i don't know where i would start. Maybe i would turn on a battery powered radio see what was going on. But one thing is for sure , it would be a world wide problem haha. How would people recover overall if it turned out to be permament. Computers , Satellites, and Power are 3 of the most demanded things people overall use in my opinion. Most people off top probably say uhh yes people will recover are you retarted? But think how integrated those 3 things are into a average persons life. If for some random reason noone could figure out why it happened where would we restart?
When i was laying in bed the other night...No joke haha i was laying in my bed about to go to sleep just thinking and this is the story well idea that came into my head. In my imagination it would be complete chaos. People that could afford would get generators and anything else to possibly strap them up for wartimes. There would be no "market" of anything per say anymore. With no communication it would take years to try and rebuild some of the global empire companies. Think the stock market is bad off now ?? Man i couldnt wait to see some of the stockholders faces knowing every investment they every owned could have crashed or lost on some network noone can get running.
All in all , I believe if something ever happens to where a global network crash happens from our Satellites, Computers , and Power it would be catestrophic. What happened when gas stations ran out of gas and noone has told them its refill time :) Think about that one. Where would you be? And how would you react and / or live out the rest of your life without the "basic necessities" we call life as we know it. To many advancements or not enough?


http://technologyandsoftware3d.blogspot.com
http://compsoftwaretech.wordpress.com

Read more »

Posted in: Advancements

Satellites,Computers, And Power All Stop?

So let's say you are sitting on your couch scrolling through the new app store or surfing your favorite blogs. Suddenly your phone goes to no service , power goes out , and your stuck looking at nothing. You walk out ya back door to realize every one of your neighbors is standing outside. How would people react....What would everyone start to do if it was permanent. Imagine though really sit back and picture no satellites working , phones out , and power worldwide gone.
For one, honestly i don't know where i would start. Maybe i would turn on a battery powered radio see what was going on. But one thing is for sure , it would be a world wide problem haha. How would people recover overall if it turned out to be permament. Computers , Satellites, and Power are 3 of the most demanded things people overall use in my opinion. Most people off top probably say uhh yes people will recover are you retarted? But think how integrated those 3 things are into a average persons life. If for some random reason noone could figure out why it happened where would we restart?
When i was laying in bed the other night...No joke haha i was laying in my bed about to go to sleep just thinking and this is the story well idea that came into my head. In my imagination it would be complete chaos. People that could afford would get generators and anything else to possibly strap them up for wartimes. There would be no "market" of anything per say anymore. With no communication it would take years to try and rebuild some of the global empire companies. Think the stock market is bad off now ?? Man i couldnt wait to see some of the stockholders faces knowing every investment they every owned could have crashed or lost on some network noone can get running.
All in all , I believe if something ever happens to where a global network crash happens from our Satellites, Computers , and Power it would be catestrophic. What happened when gas stations ran out of gas and noone has told them its refill time :) Think about that one. Where would you be? And how would you react and / or live out the rest of your life without the "basic necessities" we call life as we know it. To many advancements or not enough?


http://technologyandsoftware3d.blogspot.com
http://compsoftwaretech.wordpress.com

Read more »

Posted in: Advancements

Invisibility Cloak To Be Unveiled With New Research

Invisibility Cloak To Be Unveiled With New Research

Becoming invisible with the swish of a cloak as in J K Rowling's Harry Potter novels could soon be a reality with a £4.5 million research project.
The University of Exeter is working with three other UK universities on the project, Quest for Ultimate Electromagnetics using Spatial Transformations (QUEST).
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), QUEST aims to transform the science fiction of invisibility into practical technology.
The research will focus on developing practical applications of spatial transformations for communication, wireless energy transfer, sensors and security.
The University of Exeter has been exploring the physics of these so-called 'metamaterials' for the past decade. Metamaterials are very carefully structured materials which have been designed to interact with electromagnetic waves or sound waves in ways that no naturally-occurring material can. The University of Exeter team has already been developing structures that block sound very efficiently, designing new anti-counterfeiting technologies and discovering novel ways of making paper whiter without the use of chemicals. The University has worked closely with industry partners to develop these new technologies.
Dr Alastair Hibbins of the University of Exeter's College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, said: "This award from the EPSRC marks the start of what promises to be a particularly exciting phase of research. This project will give us the flexibility and freedom to do some very exciting work from improving wifi connections and demonstrating wireless charging of mobile phones to building better sound proofed rooms, and perhaps even making things disappear completely!"
Professor Yang Hao from Queen Mary's School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, who leads the five-year project, said: "There has been intensive research into the principles of invisibility science which has now matured to the point that the next big step is to use the insights of theory to produce practical devices.
"Invisibility is an optical illusion created by the transformation of space in suitable materials. Wireless technology relies on electromagnetic waves like radio waves that are similar in behaviour to light, but have much longer wavelengths, and what is possible for light is often also possible for other electromagnetic waves."
Queen Mary's team, including Professor Hao and Professor Clive Parini, will focus on the project's engineering applications while Dr Alastair Hibbins, Professor Bill Barnes and Professor Roy Sambles will lead a team in the School of Physics at the University of Exeter to turn theory into experiment.
A team at the University of Oxford, led by Professor Patrick Grant and Professor Chris Grovenor, will develop the new materials required for practical applications.
One of the pioneers of spatial transformation theory, Professor Ulf Leonhardt at the University of St Andrews, will direct the theory element of the new research.
Science magazine recently listed research in transformation optics among the top 10 science breakthroughs of the last decade. These are so-called metamaterials unavailable in nature in which the microstructure is contrived in the laboratory to create unusual electromagnetic properties such as bending of electromagnetic waves.
Metamaterials pioneer, Sir John Pendry, will sit on the advisory board of the new project, which will be headed by Professor Peter Clarricoats who has spearheaded antenna research in the UK.
Wireless technologies based on electromagnetic waves are all around us - including mobile phones, wi-fi for computers, security scanners and many more. By combining theory with experiment and computer simulations with materials science, QUEST will create new products for wireless technology. For example, with the right sort of materials and devices it may no longer be required to switch off mobile phones in aeroplanes.
Wireless antennas may become smaller, more effective and unrecognisable so that they can be sewn into clothing in an increasingly wireless world.
Exactly what form these devices will take is not yet clear - the research will help inform that. The grant from EPSRC will allow the researchers the flexibility and freedom to achieve the - almost - impossible with electromagnetic waves.
EPSRC is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800m a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.

Read more »

Posted in: Advancements